
Halfway house residents less likely to reoffend upon release: Singapore Prison Service
New data from the Singapore Prison Service shows drug offenders in halfway house programmes are less likely to reoffend after they are released. But, successful reintegration requires a combined effort from external employers, family and most importantly, the offenders themselves. In this CNA exclusive, Aslam Shah visits halfway houses across Singapore to uncover how these programmes are working on the ground.
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CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Former Transport Minister S Iswaran no longer under prison custody
SINGAPORE: Former Transport Minister S Iswaran is no longer under the custody of the Singapore Prison Service (SPS), the agency told CNA. It said on Friday (Jun 6) that Mr Iswaran had completed his emplacement on the Home Detention Scheme. SPS did not specify when Mr Iswaran completed his emplacement or when he will conclude his 12-month sentence. Factoring in a remission period, which is available to inmates who have served two-thirds of their sentence, Mr Iswaran could have been released on remission from Friday. Mr Iswaran was placed on home detention on Feb 7 this year to serve the remainder of his sentence at his residence under specific conditions. He pleaded guilty on Sep 24, 2024, to four charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which forbids all public servants from obtaining any valuable thing from someone involved with them in an official capacity. These were for obtaining valuables from Singapore GP majority shareholder Ong Beng Seng and construction boss Lum Kok Seng while he held portfolios that had official dealings with the two men. Iswaran also pleaded guilty to one charge of obstructing justice by belatedly repaying the cost of a flight to Doha. Another 30 charges under Section 165 were taken into consideration for his sentencing. He was sentenced to 12 months' jail on Oct 3, 2024, and he began serving his sentence on Oct 7, 2024. Ong's case is still pending before the courts.


CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Four accused of duping woman out of her belongings in 'blessings' scam
SINGAPORE: Three women and a man were charged on Friday (Jun 6) for their purported roles in a scam that involved at least one victim surrendering her belongings for religious blessings. The man is Huang Ximing, 61, and the women are Zhong Weifeng, 58, Huang Qinyan, 47, and Huang Meiling, 56. All four are Chinese nationals. Each was handed two charges of cheating in a conspiracy. In a press release on Friday, the police said that they received a report on Jun 3 from a victim who was allegedly cheated by three women in Chinatown. Charge sheets provided more details on how this occurred. Huang Meiling had initially approached the alleged victim seeking directions to a Chinese physician, when Zhong intervened and claimed that she knew of one. Zhong added that consultations could only occur outside the premises due to overcrowding and wanted the victim to pose as her relative. She then led them to Huang Qinyan, who claimed to be the physician, the police said. The victim was then told that she was "experiencing misfortune due to negative spiritual elements". The police added that the three women and the victim then arranged to meet at Hong Lim Park, where they convinced the victim to surrender S$700 (US$544) in cash and a gold necklace with a "Guan Yin" pendant to the "Chinese physician". Huang Qinyan, who was posing as the physician, then placed the items in a black plastic bag and performed an alleged blessing ritual, said the police. The victim was instructed to store the plastic bag underneath her bed, unopened, for one month. The next morning, when the victim examined the contents of the plastic bag, she discovered that her valuables had been replaced with leaves. The police said they received another report of a similar scam in the Clementi area on Jun 4. In this incident, two women approached another victim and engaged her in conversation. After noticing cash in the victim's bag, they convinced her to place her valuables into a black trash bag for "safekeeping", said the police. The victim later discovered that her money was missing. Charges state that on Jun 3, 2025, at about 3pm, in the vicinity of Commonwealth Avenue West, the four engaged in a conspiracy to cheat the victim by deceiving her into believing that they had better equipment and techniques to safeguard her valuables. The victim was allegedly deceived into delivering an envelope containing S$500 in cash to Huang Meiling and Huang Qinyan for custody. Huang Ximing, Zhong and Huang Qinyan appeared in court via videolink, where a prosecutor applied to have them remanded for a week with permission to take them out for investigations. This was to ascertain if there were other cases of a similar nature, if the accused had other accomplices, and to conduct scene visits to recover evidence. Huang Meiling was charged separately. The court granted the application and fixed a further mention for all four on Jun 13. Through extensive ground enquiries and the aid of CCTV footage, the police were able to establish the identities of the accused. All four were arrested on Jun 5. The victim's gold necklace was recovered from one of them, said the police. Cash amounting to S$1,311 and 10,050 Chinese yuan (US$1,400) were also seized. The police urged the public to be wary of strangers who claim to provide spiritual help or blessing services. "No legitimate religious practitioner will ask for your money or valuables to be surrendered for any blessing ritual," said the police. "If approached by someone claiming you have bad luck or need spiritual cleansing, do not engage with them and call the police immediately."


CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
NDP 2025: Flying of kites, drones not allowed in some areas on selected dates
SINGAPORE: The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) on Friday (Jun 6) said that it will be establishing temporary restricted areas over some parts of Singapore on selected days in June, July, and August. The temporary restricted areas help ensure the safety of the public and low-flying aircraft involved in aerial activities in preparation for the National Day Parade, CAAS and the parade's executive committee said in a joint news release. These areas will encompass the Padang and other parts of Singapore, extending from ground level to 2,500 feet above mean sea level. "Due to flight operational and safety requirements, the temporary restricted areas will cover most of Singapore on Saturdays and National Day," the authorities said. The restrictions will be in effect on several dates between Jun 9 and Aug 9. In the event of poor weather conditions on any of the planned dates, the reserve date of Aug 16 may also be used. "During the stated dates and times, the conduct of all aerial activities, including kite-flying, hoisting of captive balloons and flying of unmanned aircraft such as drones into and within the temporary restricted areas, is strictly prohibited, unless the required permits have been obtained from the CAAS," the authorities said. Carrying out aerial and unmanned aircraft activities in the temporary restricted areas without the required permits from CAAS is an offence. Under the Air Navigation Order, which covers aerial activities, first-time offenders may be fined up to S$20,000. Repeat offenders may be fined up to S$40,000, jailed up to 15 months, or both. Under the Air Navigation (101 – Unmanned Aircraft Operations) Regulations 2019, which covers unmanned aircraft activities, first-time offenders may be fined up to S$50,000, jailed up to two years, or both. Repeat offenders may be fined up to S$100,000, jailed for up to five years, or both. Other than the temporary restricted areas, existing restrictions on the conduct of aerial and unmanned aircraft activities within 5km of aerodromes, danger areas, prohibited areas, restricted areas, and protected areas remain in force. "Members of the public are reminded to check the website or the OneMap app for information on areas where the conduct of aerial activities is prohibited or requires a permit", said CAAS.